In a rich data environment in which entities, links, and properties (ELP) data needs to be searched, facets can assist with the filtering of matching results. In most faceting user interfaces, facets are generated from properties and metadata of the items listed and the list of available facets can be navigated via scrolling.
In an ELP data environment, facets can also be generated from linked entities and their properties. For example, a search for “John Smith” could return a list of matching person entities. Facets generated by legal end types specified by a schema could include “Linked to crime” or more specifically “Linked to crime: assault”.
Given this capability, in a law enforcement deployment of a schema, the number of potential combinations of advanced facets could easily reach the 1000s and become unusable if presented to the user in their entirety. Consequently, configuration is required to ensure the user is only presented with advanced facets that are useful.
In order to make the most of this capability, there is either a configuration overhead for the administrator or an interaction overhead for the user.